by Stephanie Manning
The contemporary relevance of doomed love, betrayal, and political maneuvering continues to endear Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas to modern audiences. But the recent staging of the 17th-century opera by Baldwin Wallace Opera Theater made a more direct connection to today’s political climate.
Set “within the dystopian framework of A Handmaid’s Tale,” the all-new production, directed by Scott Skiba, drew parallels between Purcell’s tale and the setting of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 book. It’s an ambitious premise, and one that ultimately wobbled rather than sticking its landing. Regardless, the one-hour work featured lovely performances across the board from the student cast.
The Helen Theatre at Playhouse Square provided an intimate, black box venue, giving the small audience up-close sightlines to the action. The cast of the 3:00 pm show on October 11 set a high bar for singing and acting quality, anchored by Christol Stewart as Dido, who absolutely shone with her dignified voice and bearing. Conductor Jason Aquila led a string quartet from the harpsichord. [Read more…]
Soprano Jennifer Rowley and pianist Jason Aquila brought an unmistakable love for bel canto singing to Gamble Auditorium at Baldwin Wallace the evening of February 13. In a recital entitled “Inspirazione,” Rowley acknowledged her indebtedness to the mostly bel canto composers on the program and to the conductors and collaborators who have thus far aided her career. She hoped to repay the debt in kind to the excited BW voice students listening from the balcony.
It’s Valentine’s Day all week this week, and aside from the obvious gifts — flowers, chocolates, and shiny bling — there are a number of ways to take to heart the new advice of gifting your love interest experiences rather than things.
A white picket fence, a suburban home interior, a blue sky dotted with puffy clouds — and six opera singers, each decked out in a distinct color ranging from deep purple to highlighter orange: such were the sights onstage on the opening night of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory’s production of Domenico Cimarosa’s 
Start with the second track of this excellent survey of George Frideric Handel’s expertise in writing for the soprano voice and its realization through the supple vocal chords of Amanda Forsythe. “Geloso tormento,” from Almira, the 19-year-old composer’s first opera, shows how ravishingly Handel and Forsythe can depict both rage and lament in the course of a single aria. (The soprano stunned audiences with such vocal prowess in the role of Edilia in the same opera during the 2013 Boston Early Music Festival.)
On their debut recording Together, celebrated harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux take listeners on a beautiful sonic journey that will mesmerizes from the first note to the last. On Thursday, May 28 at 8:00 pm in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Kondonassis and Vieaux will perform all of the music from the album in a recital presented as a part of the 2015